at home with ann

A few weeks ago we went into Boston for the day. After chasing little people up, down, and around the Children's Museum, watching Colin climb up three stories on a jungle gym and James' excitement at a room filled with golf balls, we went to Flour Bakery for lunch.  I had the Roasted Sweet Potato sandwich, and it was amazing. I just checked the menu , and it looks like they don't offer it right now, but lucky for you I made a salad that's just as good.  The original sandwich was roasted sweet potato, apple, walnut pesto, blue cheese and kale on wheat bread.  I took some liberties, changed up some ingredients, and made it into a salad. Roasted Sweet Potato Salad Romaine and Kale, shredded Olive oil Sweet potato rounds, roasted Apple, sliced Avocado Roasted tomatoes Goat cheese Balsamic Vinegar Drizzle kale and romaine with olive oil Sweet potatoes - coat slices or cubes with olive oil and roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Tomatoes - toss with olive o...

Or maybe Sweet Potato Nachos.  In any case, these were a nice little change of pace.  I know better than to pass off alternate pizza crusts to Colin.  He is neither fooled nor amused.  Zucchini, eggplant and cauliflower pizzas have all been met with disapproval.  So, for the younger set, I made sweet potato, ham, and pineapple tasting plates.  The verdict was that round sweet potatoes don't taste as good as long sweet potatoes.  Live and learn. The grownups layered roasted sweet potato rounds with barbecue sauce or tomato sauce, pineapple, ham, and mozzarella.  Popped under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese, and they were delicious. I'd even make them as an appetizer.  They were the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and salty.   Hawaiian Sweet Potato Pizzas sweet potato, cut into rounds and roasted  ham, diced pineapple, chopped barbecue or tomato sauce mozzarella cheese Layer all ingre...

I've been wanting to share this recipe with you for a while, for several reasons.  First, they are my favorite salmon cakes, which is saying something considering how many I've tried.  Second, because Colin will actually eat them, and in this time of toddler finickiness, that is never a guarantee.  I quite frequently hear that something I lovingly prepared for him is yucky.  So rewarding. And finally,  they fit into a Paleo diet.  We, quite clearly, don't eat Paleo, but it's great to have a tried and true recipe to fit any special dietary need.  I've been burned (literally) by trying a new complicated recipe for guests. Salmon Cakes recipe from Everyday Maven Ingredients: 1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed 2/3 cup almond meal* 1/3 cup chopped parsley 2 Tablespoons chopped onion 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 Tablespoon hot sauce (or to taste, depending on your spicy preferences) 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspo...

Muffins just might be Colin's favorite food, and I can't blame him.  Perfect little snack sized treats, delivered in a cute tin, filled with delicious fruit - you can't go wrong.  That being said, we go through a batch of baked goods at an alarming rate around this house, even when they are hidden on top of the refrigerator (the last remaining surface that is out of reach of tiny hands).  We made these muffins to accompany our vegetarian chili last week, thinking they'd be a good replacement for cornbread and also be a nice snack for anytime.  Plus, they are full of healthy sweet potato and millet, so they are nutritious and it's ok to eat two (or four). Sweet Potato Millet Muffins recipe from Eat Live Run Makes about 16-20 muffins Ingredients: 2 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry, but all purpose would work, too) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup millet 2 eggs 1 medium sweet pot...

I make these recipes for Colin, but grown up people might like them too! Colin was never big into baby food purees.  I fed him one jar of food back when he first started eating solids, mostly so that I could have the cute mini jar to use for lotion.  I think those "complete meals in a jar" are kind of creepy.  Chicken dinner puree?  No, thanks.  For the most part he has eaten fruits and vegetables, either raw, steamed, roasted or sauteed.  A few things have been big hits and I use them as staples: broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes.  He's big in picking things up himself.  We can get into ruts, however, one of which resulted in his eating an entire roasted butternut squash over a two week period. He likes to help in the kitchen, which means he wants to see everything that's going on and touch it.  Cooking with one hand while holding him with the other can be a bit of a challenge.  Sometimes I can convince him that the view from his c...

We've made a version of these before , but I have to say I like this one better.  Even without the cheese.  I never thought I would say that. The filling is chock full of vegetables and spices, and the chopped avocado on top gives it the perfect creamy finish.  Jon topped his with sour cream, but I didn't miss it.  Some of the dishes I've made in the last few months have left me staring wistfully at Jon's plate saying things like, "How is it with cheese?  Goat cheese is my favorite.  I bet it's good.  Mine is good, but not as good as yours.  I hope you appreciate how good yours is." Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas - Vegan Inspired by Oh She Glows Ingredients: olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped and cooked (I roasted mine at 375 for 45 minutes, you can also steam or bake) A...

I make a lot of soups in the winter, in case you haven't noticed.  Warm, healthy, and easy, all the things I look for in a recipe.  When I can throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker and be done, that's just an added bonus.  I had intended to save some of this soup and stick it in the freezer for post-baby time, as I've been doing a lot lately, but we managed to eat it all. This was likely due to me eating it directly out of the crock pot for pre-dinner snack the night Jon came home late. Slow Cooker Peanut Stew recipe from Peas and Thank You 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 sweet potato, cubed 1 1/2 teaspoons curry poweder 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon cumin 1 Tablespoon minced ginger (I used fresh and grated it) 2 teaspoons minced garlic dash of cinnamon 1 14 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice 1 can light coconut milk 2 cups vegetable broth 2 Tablespoons peanut butter 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed Add all ingredients to t...

It seems that I make almost weekly posts about some sort of Mexican-ish food.  If you know my husband, you understand.  Also, you won't be surprised that this morning he mentioned I had said I would make tacos soon and that hasn't yet happened.  And he's wondering what the delay has been.  He's going to have to wait a little longer, and survive with enchiladas in the meantime.  You can easily substitute canned black beans in this recipe, which would make the whole thing super fast and easy.  I opted for the long approach and made black beans in the crock pot.  If you have the time, it's so worth it. So, first we'll start with the black beans.  I soaked a one pound bag of black beans overnight.  The next morning, I drained, rinsed, and added just enough fresh water to cover.  Also into the crock pot went a chopped onion and sliced jalapeno.  Don't forget to use a plastic bag or gloves when handling hot peppers.  I forgot on ...

I love salads.  Everything from greens dressed with just olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, to giant piles of everything in the fridge.  That being said, we all burn out on greens occasionally, so here are a few ideas for lettuce-free salads.  One great thing about these salads, you can make them in advance without worrying about everything getting wilted and sad. Cucumber, Corn and Tomato Salad The title pretty much sums it up. Cucumber, chopped Tomato, chopped Corn, raw, shucked off the cob Avocado (add this at the last minute to prevent browning) Fresh basil or parsley, or both, chopped Olive oil Red wine vinegar This was great as-is, but I also served the leftovers over a bed of lettuce (I know, I promised no lettuce), and added chickpeas to make it a little heartier. Roasted Sweet Potato and Beet Salad Also, self-explanatory. Sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes Beets, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes Onion, roughly chopped Olive oil Balsamic ...

As you probably know by now, in addition to Swedish Meatballs, tacos are Jon's favorite food.  Every week when I ask what he wants for dinner, he says one of those two things.  While I always aim to please, I'm not going to make tacos every week.  I will, however, make every possible variation on tortilla, filling, cheese, spices I can think of. These were very good.  I used green chilis instead of pickled jalapenos because I was thinking I didn't want it to be extra spicy.  Then I realized that was crazy and added the habanero spice to the mix.  This made a little bit extra filling than would fit in the dish, so I ate it on the side.  If you want to portion things a bit better, I recommend cutting down the sweet potato quantity, or using slightly larger tortillas.  Mine were about 8 inches in diameter. These could easily be made vegan by skipping the cheese or offering it on the side.  Also, I need to figure out how to make my own enchil...